Raji Not Just Another Big Guy

Packers General Manager Ted Thompson is known for saying that a team's foundation is in its offensive and defensive line - its big guys.

But with the No. 9 pick in Saturday's NFL Draft, Thompson doesn't believe he selected just another big guy in Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji. He believes the 6-foot-1, 332-pounder is capable of being a special player up front in the defense's new 3-4 scheme, bringing both stoutness against the run and disruption against the pass. And that conviction was strong enough to select Raji over Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who was the near-consensus top offensive playmaker in the draft and surprisingly available at the No. 9 slot.

"He's a rare guy physically," Thompson said of Raji. "He's genuinely a powerful, powerful man, especially in his lower body. He has the ability to take people backwards where they don't want to go. He also has the quickness to go around them.